Concerned resident from Witpoortjie writes:
I always take Ontdekkers Road when going to Westgate, there’s just no two ways about it for me.
The other routes, the road going past Hoërskool Die Adelaar is just to curvy and motorists take those turns as if their on a formula one track.
Then there is the even more dangerous road going past Princess informal settlement. For some odd reason I decided to take that road thinking it is probably not so bad anymore. Boy was I wrong! I kept telling myself, just stay calm before approaching it…
But I couldn’t. Arriving at my destination I needed to sit down somewhere and have a strong, sweet coffee because I was so shocked at what
I saw. Apart from the raw sewage running from all four corners, children were playing in it right on the street with trucks speeding past.
Old folks were sitting and smoking something resembling an illegal substance while a mother tries to hang up some laundry over a newly formed rubbish dump.
How is this possible? How is it possible that people, human beings, can live like this?
You must be thinking, how slow did this woman drive to notice all these things?
I had to drive slowly because I was busy dodging a chicken and her little chicks crossing the road and trying not to drive through the makeshift fire that a seemingly drunk man had started. I am very worried because I stay a couple of kilometers from this settlement.
I’m not sure why I am worried, but I just am. I don’t want to ask the same old question; “what is going to be done about the situation”, because I think nothing can be done. All I can do is stick to my original route when driving to Westgate.
Out of sight, out of mind I suppose.
